Axle-coupling for hub-odometers



R. R. KARICH.

AXLE COUPLING FOR HUB ODOMETERS. APPLICATION HLED APR. 25. 1919.

1,368,505, Patented Feb. 15, 1921,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- (www 1 .larice/,

R. R. KARICH.

AXLE COUPLING FORHUB ODQMETERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

ganado@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- RUDOLPH R. minion;` or WOODHAVEN,NEW- YORK, ASSIGNOR To THR AMERICAN l TAXIMETER COMPANY, orimw YORK, N.Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

yAXllIlE-OUILIN'G' FOR HUB-ODOMETERS.

n Specification of Letters Patent. i Patented Feb, 15, y1921,

` `Application ined April 25,1919. seiai No. 292,735.

To all whom t may concern v,

Beit known that I, RUDOLPH R. Kamer-i, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVoodhaven, Long Island, in the vcounty Oi Queens and.Statel of New York, have inf ventedcertain new andv useful Improvementsin Axle-Couplings vfor Hub-Odometers, of which the followingis aspeciication.

This invention relates to hub-odometers, and rmore yparticularly to animproved axle i coupling'for operatively connecting the register orCounter with a stationaryaxle part.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical andreliable device which will readily interlock with the castellations ofthe axle `nut,-vvhereby the register device sup orted within theodometer casing will be ii said casing rotates with the Wheel.k In thisconnection it is proposed toprovide a construction which has ampleresiliency in the Aline of theaxis of the support for the register andthe ywheel axle, butwhich is particularly adapted to withstand rotarytwisting strains due tok maintaining the register and its operating"connections stationary while the exterior 'casing rotates.

.A further Object of. the invention is to provide a construction `whichis economical to manufact-ure and easily and quickly assembled, therebyfacilitating quantity production. L f r y With the'above and otherobjects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood,

ythesame consists in the novel features, conbination and arrangement ofhereinafter ymore fully described, illustrated and claimed.- Y yPreferred and practical embodiments of the invention aresliown intheacoompanying drawings, 'in which .Figure 1 is a vertioalfseetionalview of a hub-odometer showing the arrangement of Operating partetherein and the application of oneof the presentdriving connections.

Fig. Qis a plan view effithe form :of couplng device" shown in Fig.k 1`mounted on ythe driving plate that is carried Kthe odometer housing.

Fig. 3- is a side the `cony-structimi of Figs. v1 and' 2 'showing kmoreoleulyftheiiinterlock the iildiblfe member'of the coupling and the axe-nut,

eld stationary while the` Fig. .4 is a perspective View of a practicalcommercial embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the stamping from which one member of ythecoupling is made. i

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the stamping from which the other memberL maybe made.

Fig. 7 is avertical sectional view of a complete rdevice embodying thelocking ring made from the stamping shown in Fig. (i.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings.

AThe present invention is susceptible Ol general applicationtohub-odometers of the type wherein any suitablefregister `device isemployed, sucli as that indicated in Fig. l as R for instance, and whichregister de'- vioe is held stationary with reference to the drivingplate B which lis fitted in and rotates with an exterior protectingcasing, C

attached to a Wheel hub H. In this type of hub-odometer the said plateI3 has loosely journaled therein a shaft or spindle S of the support forthe register R, and to hold the latter in a fixed position it isnecessary to kconnect said spindle S with the stationary axle A, orpreferably the lock-nut N thereon. To this end a Coupling device such asshown in F 3 Ort is employed.

The coupling devices proposed by the present invention each essentiallyconsist oi a base member for engaging with ythe spin-V that 'the presentcoupling connects .theregister or counter directk with the kaxle to thus`hold the same fixed and therefore distinguishes from Vhub-odometerdriving` connections Wherein a gear orllike `driving element is securedto one `of the members thereof,

and rthe register Or counter revolves with the Wheel. 1 e

The present Ainvention is therefore directed solely to acoupling. forConnecting the ,refgister or counter with a stationary aalepafrt,whereby the counter and its support Cil becomes in elfect a continuationor extension ot the axle on which the Wheel is mounted, rather than apart of the wheel, the latterI itseltl merely acting; through propermeans as the driving instrumentality.

Referring' to the novel structural :features and Characteristics or theconnector coupling shown in Figs. 1 to il inclusive, it vill be observedthat the same pre'feiabl;Y includes in. its organization a base inemberl which is provided with a central hub portion 2 for receiving the endot the spindle til, nifl an outer upstainling` housing harige poi ronThis construction ot the base provides an annular groove betiveen thehuh and the flange for receiving one end ot coiled spring4 t Whoseopposite end completel;r surrounded bv and housed Within a locking`sleeve 5 provided with the retaining flange G at one end While itsopposite end telt scopicallv engages with the flange 3 oi the base. ltWill he observed that the said flange (l Which constitutes an ahutinent'tor the spring ilis relatively narrow to therehjr provide a centralclearance opening 7, o that in case the threaded end of the a-Xle Aprojects beyond the nut N, the said locking` sleeve 5 under the pressureof the spring' l nia7 be forced into contact with the tace oll the nutto insure that the opposite locking' or key Studs S carried b v theflange will engage in the castellations 9 ot the axle nut.

For the purpose ot preventin the relative rotation ot the locking sleevewith relier ence to the flange 3 V t' base, the said itIlQ sleeve isprovided at diametricall;v opposite `points With elongated slots l0.whereby a relativel)7 long' locking pin 1l. which inalv be insertedthrough alined openinik l2 in both the flange 3 and hub 2, uill servethe doulile purpose oli locking the hase 1 to the spindle S and alsolocking` the sleeve against relative rotation on the flange 3. Althoughthe sleeve is locked against circuinf:Jv ntial movement with referenceto the hase l.. it Will be observed that owing to thev elongated slotsl0 the said lockingr sleeve 5 will have ample movement in thedirectionotl its axis to insure the resiliency ot' the spring- /l heinp7 exercised to cause the 'angje ot the sleeve to be maintained inContact with the face ol the nut so that the locking; studs or keys willbe positively held in the castellations 9.

By reference to the manner of using the device it will he apparent thatthe attaching hase 1 may he tit-ted to the supporting inember or plate Bin .such ai manner that the spindle S will project througn. the hubportion 2. The spring` l is then seated in lthe annular groote betweenthe hub and flange and protected by the latter, after which the lockingsleeve 5 nia-y be placed over the spring to compress the saine. andtelescopicallyv engage withthe flange 3, whereupon the relatively longlocking key 11 niav be inserted through the slots 10 and alined openings12 in the flange 3 and huh 2 to hold all ot the various parts in theircorrect assembled relation.

When the odometer casing harinathe present connector therein is fittedto the. Wheel hub H, the locking; studs or keys d will automaticallysnap into opposite castel lations on the nut N and therebyautomaticalli7 etlect the desired totalling or connection between thestationary axle-part and the spindle S, or its equivalent, associatedwith the register mechanism.

Relerringr to the embodiment o t the in vention shown in Ff to 'Tinclusive, it Will be observed that these l'ip'ures illustrate aconstruction which particularly advan tageous trom a commercialstamli'ioint. by reason ot the ltact that the several parte thereof mayhe made b v simple and inexpensive stampin;y operations. 'lf hat is tosa): the base lflmav be made troni a stampiirg.` suc-h is shown in Figi5 which inclinlcsl the relat' rely large dis -lilre intermediate portiona with the oppositelgY extending arms Zi, which when bent up at rightangles to the plane of the portion u provide the upstan-zling` arms 15.These arms are preterahlv provided With the slots which may be punchedtherein at the time ot making the stamping and het'ore the arras arebent up into their linal position. The said base lll pi'e'lcrabhT hassuitablyv secured thereto an attaching' disk 17 'for fitting`|` orer thecentral hub portion ot the driving plate B and cui Erecting With thespindle olf the counter such shown in Fig. 'l for example The lockingmember in this torni ol* the invention is preterabliv a ring?,r 1S whichmay he provided with the opposite guide pro- Qiections 19 'for slidingin slots 1G and tln` spring retaining` lugs 2d while the 'tace thereotcarries oppositclv located axle 0u-- gaging studs or their equivalentsQ1. As shown in Fig. 4, the stinls 2l may he u'eldell or riveted to thelaee ot the rino' 18? hut they may also be readilY 'formed as n part otthe ring itself as shown in Fig. (l, which illustrates a ring made by astamping operation with the inwardly proj ecting tongues awr. Thesetongues om@ may be bent up at right angles to the face of the plate asshovrn in Fig. 7 to provide the axle-part engaginlrT studs 21a.

For the purpose of maintaining the locking ring 18 in proper relation tothe base 16 a helical springf Q2 is preferably cin ployed, and with thisconstruction 4it Will be apparent that the normal position of the ring18 will loe such thatthe 'projections 19 will be yieldinglyY held in theouter ends ot' the slots 16, that i'sthe lends oppositeI the hase 14,whereby thelocking ring will at all lll) times be maintainedy in aposition to automatically snap into engagement with the castellations ofthe lock nut on the axle.

A practical and important feature of all forms of the invention is theyconstruction which permits of accommodating the threaded end portion ofthe axle whichmay project beyondthe lock nut. That is to say, in bothforms of the invention the locking member is in the form of a ring whichprovides a relatively large central clearance opening so that in casethe axle projects beyond the nut, a positive engagement between thelocking studs or projections carried by the ring and the castellationsof the axle nut will be assured. Furthermore, in all forms of theinvention, the relatively fixed and movable members are securely lockedagainst relative rotary movement which is an important consideration inthe accurate functioning of hub-odometers, while at the same i, time thenecessary resiliency between the movable member which has a relativelyfioating relation bet-Weenl the fixed axle-part and the odometerstructure proper, is always maintained.

Without further description it is thought that the` features andadvantages of the present invention will be readily apparent. and itywill of course be understood that minor changes ymay be resorted towit-hout departing from the s irit of the invention or scope of theappen ed claims.

I claim:

1. An axle coupling unit for hub-odometers including a member adapted tobe attached to the odometer, said member being of substantially U-shapedcross section, an axle nut engaging member slidably interlockedtherewith, and a spring interposed between the base and nut engagingmember.

2.. An axle coupling unit for hub-odometers including a base, and anaxle nut engaging member consisting of a ring having a 'centralclearance opening of greater diameter than the axle and carryingprojections for engaging with the castellations of the `axle nut, andyielding means between the base and axle nut engaging member.

3. An axle coupling unit for hub-odometers including a base having aportion thereof off-set to one side, an axle nut enried by the axleengaging member for interlocking with an axle part.

5. An axle coupling for hub-odometers consisting of a base, havingslotted arm portions, a locking ring having offset stationary axle-partengaging elements and oppositely disposed projections for engaging withthe slotted arm portions of the base, vand a spring interposed betweenthe base and ring.

6. An axle coupling for hub-odometers consisting of a base, havingslotted arms bent up at right angles thereto, a ring having oppositeoffset axle engaging elements and diametrically extending projectionsfor engaging with the slotted arms of the base,

and a spring confined between the base and rin 7g.; An axle kcoupling'for hub-odometers consisting of a base consisting of a relatively largeintermediate portion with oppositely slotted arms bent at right anglesto said intermediate portion, a locking member consisting of a ringprovided with diametrically opposite portions for engaging with theslotted arms, and also provided with downwardly Y projecting springretaining lugs and axle-part engaging projections carried by the face ofsaid ring, and a spring arranged between said ring and base.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. RUDOLPH Il. KARICH. lVitnesses: d

F. DUoAssn` B. C. PALMER.

